NASA extends rescue missions on manifest

by Chris Bergin

The latest Shuttle manifest shows NASA has extended the number of flights that will have a LON (Launch On Need) rescue mission on standby.

While STS-121 with Discovery has stood down its STS-300 LON (with Atlantis), three more rescue missions have been added to accompany flights through to at least STS-120, with another special – and very different – LON mission being considered for STS-125’s Hubble Servicing Mission.

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While this may come as a surprise, the remaining 16 missions yet to fly before the retirement of the Shuttle fleet allows for no major changes in the currently launch processing flows. Should, in the undesirable scenario of an orbiter being unable to re-enter, the next schedule mission should be able to provide LON assistance via its own regular timelines.

Most of all, the revalation of LON missions being added to the manifest should be seen as a sign NASA is not taking any chances.

Other than the additions of the LON missions, the manifest remains solid – and now realistic – following the successful ‘clean’ launch of Discovery last week.

nullThe faster-than-scheduled change-out of the ECO (Engine Cut Off) sensors in ET-118 has pulled back the schedule pressure on the NET (No Earlier Than) August 28 launch of Atlantis, as she re-starts International Space Station Assembly missions, carrying the P3/P4 truss uphill.

Her sister, Discovery, will be supporting as the LON shuttle, in tandem with preparations for her second mission of the year, STS-116, currently NET December 14.

With Endeavour rejoining flight operations in 2007, NASA hopes to launch five missions next year, with Endeavour’s first mission since her long stand-down post Columbia and major modification period being STS-118, carrying S5, Spacehab-SM, ESP3. STS-118 is currently NET June 11, although she will be supporting LON requirements for Atlantis’ February 22 STS-117.

2008 is set to be a highlight year for the final flights of the Shuttle, with five fights including the Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission, tagged STS-125 – HST-SM04.

The NET April 11, 2008 will be the only flight without the ‘safe haven’ of the International Space Station, while also being scheduled after the handover of launch pad complex 39B for recommisioning into the test pad – and eventual launch pad – for the CLV (Crew Launch Vehicle).

Evaluations are taking place for the possibility of a unique and ambitious ‘single pad rescue mission,’ should there be a major problem with Discovery during the servicing of Hubble.

The mission should – if the manifest listings are followed in order – be listed as STS-325, although STS-199 has appeared on some documents relating to STS-125 – which has been confirmed as the fourth and final servicing mission to Hubble.

Two separate articles will appear on this site on both the CLV/Pad 39B and the evaluations for a LON for STS-125. Documentation and information currently on L2.

Below is the current manifest listing:

1 – August 28, 2006 – STS-115 – 12A – Atlantis – P3/P4
(November 11, 2006 – STS-301 – LON for STS-115 – Discovery)
2 – December 14, 2006 – STS-116 – 12A.1 – Discovery – P5, Spacehab-SM, ICC
(February 9, 2007 – STS-317 – LON for STS-116 – Atlantis]
3 – February 22, 2007 – STS-117 – 13A – Atlantis – S3/S4
(May 8, 2007 – STS-318 – LON for STS-117 – Endeavour)
4 – June 11, 2007 – STS-118 – 13A.1 – Endeavour – S5, Spacehab-SM, ESP3
(July 26, 2007 – STS-320 – LON for STS-118 – Atlantis)
5 – August 9, 2007 – STS-120 – 10A – Atlantis – Node 2, PDGF
6 – September 27, 2007 – STS-122 – 1E – Discovery – Columbus, MPESS
7 – November 29, 2007 – STS-123 – 1J/A – Endeavour – JEM ELM-PS, SLP-D1 with SPDM Dextre
8 – February 7, 2008 – STS-124 – 1J – Atlantis – JEM PM, JEM RMS
9 – April 11, 2008 – STS-125 – HST SM-04 – Discovery
(LON STS-325 or STS-199 – Single Pad – Discovery/Endeavour Lifeboat and Rescue – under consideration)
10 – June 19, 2008 – STS-119 – 15A – Endeavour – S6
11 – August 21, 2008 – STS-126 – ULF2 – Atlantis – MPLM Leonardo (last flight of OV-104)
12 – October 30, 2008 – STS-127 – 2J/A – Discovery – JEM EF, JEM ELM-ES, SLP-D2
13 – January 22, 2009 – STS-128 – 17A – Endeavour – MPLM Donatello, LMC
14 – April 30, 2009 – STS-129 – ULF3 – Discovery – ELC1, ELC2 (last flight of OV-103)
15 – July 16, 2009 – STS-130 – 19A – Endeavour – MPLM Donatello, LMC
(October 22, 2009 – STS-131 – ULF4/CLF – Discovery – ELC3, ELC4)
16 – January 21, 2010 – STS-132 – 20A – Endeavour – Node 3 with Cupola (last flight of OV-105)
(July 15, 2010 – STS-133 – ULF5/CLF – Endeavour – ELC5, ELC1).






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